


Mix & Match

by Ahmandine



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, College, Domestic, F/M, M/M, New Mexico, Roommates, Student Castiel, Student Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-14 07:54:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1258702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahmandine/pseuds/Ahmandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel Novak was content to ignore his feelings for his best friend and roommate, Dean Winchester, but the rest of the world decides to interfere. Things get messy, but who doesn't like a little mess?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> Well, I haven't written a chaptered story for quite a long time, but I'm going to try very hard on this one. It's a bit of a personal challenge, and I'll do my best to keep it updated regularly!
> 
> It's rated M, because I intend on including some steamy bits here and there. Also I don't know yet how long it's gonna be but I'm going to try and plan it all out in the next few days!
> 
> I'll need all the support I can get because, my dears, I haven't done that in a WHILE.
> 
> Now let's go for it!

 

Summer was coming to an end faster than Castiel would have thought. It was already August 15th, supposedly the hottest day of the year and there he was, sitting at his desk, absentmindedly sketching out figures draped in thick material, his hands running smoothly across the paper.  
Summer break or not, there was no way he would stop designing clothes, even for just a couple of days. He was a Textile and Apparel Design major, and he loved it. Every bit of it. This was hardly homework to him.

He could not focus all that well, however, and assumed it was because of that nice, sweet summer warmth seeping in through the window. It made him feel a bit sleepy and although he was definitely not a nap person, eventually, he pushed himself up from his chair and stepped over to his bed.

He did not have to sleep, but maybe a bit of a break would be nice, he thought as he stretched a little. The sun had warmed the sheets he was now pressed down into and that was quite a nice feeling.

Cars driving by and groups of people chattering on the street, little by little, he let the gentle sounds of the city lull him to sleep. A quiet apartment was just  _that_  nice, and since he'd started living with Dean, it was also a very rare occurrence.

As if on cue, about ten minutes later, a high pitched laughter broke the silence, followed by the sound of a door being closed.  
Oh well, seemed like Dean with back, with company to boot.

He could hear the two chat for a little bit, and, goodness, Dean had his 'deep sexy voice' thing on, as he liked to call it. (Castiel himself called it the 'moronic jock in rut voice thing', but he had not shared that one with Dean yet.)  
He stifled a faint chuckle and shook his head. Dean really couldn't be helped, could he.

A second later, the two fell silent and all of a sudden, Dean opened the door to his room before barging in. Castiel pretended to be asleep, his eyes closed, making sure to take deep, even breaths. Why would he do that, you ask? Well, one need only meet a single one of Dean's conquests to understand that he doesn't pick them for their outstanding IQ. Castiel was not one to diss people, but... seriously, Dean quite obviously did not believe in mind over matter. And he was not exactly in the mood to try and communicate with today's pick.

That did not prevent Dean from being a good guy, though, far from it, and as soon as he understood his roommate was taking a nap, he shushed the girl that had already started babbling again, and closed the door.

Alright, so this was probably step three of Dean's world reknown plan, also know as his SHAG system. Yes, he did name it that.  
Just for the beauty of it, here comes a brief explanation of the whole thing. S stands for Spot it, H, Hit on it. A, Ask a bit (yes, well, he was starting to run out of ideas). And finally, G, of course, Go for it.  
Just thought that was worth mentioning.

Castiel was thus thinking they had reached step three, though he was not all too sure what there was to ask. That did also mean that the next step would consist in actual 'shagging', and Castiel hoped it would not come all  _that_  quickly, because really, listening to stifled moans through the all too thin wall standing between their rooms did not rank first on his fanciest things to do list.  
And yet, he knew better than that. Dean always was a fast one.

The two of them were, as anyone could see, extremely different, and yet that did not make their bond any less strong. Dean was the exact kind of person he loved. He might have been hot headed and a bit of a show off, but Castiel knew that that was mostly an outside thing he did to give some credit to his reputation. To be truthful, he was actually a very caring, loyal and honest person that was just absolutely  _incapable_  of lying, and that would do anything for a friend. He was handsome, well built yet not all that full of himself. He had that nice sense of humor and-

"Caaaaas, did you finish my dress yet?" Came Jo's sudden shout through the door.

Right after that, he heard their front door slam, and hell broke loose. Jo then did her one favorite thing to do in the world: she made a ruckus, obviously aimed at pissing Dean off. Which never failed to work.  
The next moment, Dean exploded and started shouting right back at her and they argued like a bunch of five year old kids, the girl from earlier all but forgotten.

Castiel was always pretty amused by the whole thing, and he couldn't help but chuckle when he caught a slightly daring but well placed "So you brought another slut home again" followed by an eruption of shrieks and some more shouting, then a door slamming, and his two friends bickering again.

Well, he couldn't really pretend to be asleep any longer, so he just stood and opened the door to their small living room. They didn't even notice him until he proceeded to clear his throat, too busy fighting.

Once she saw him, Jo squealed and bounced over to jump into his arms and give him a tight hug.

She was the same as ever, a rather petite girl with a strong, boyish personality that shone through her face, through her endlessly questioning, provoking eyes. Having been raised by a very strong mother, in the absence of a father, growing up mostly around the boys from her neighborhood, one could say it was no surprise she would end up so rough and somewhat brutal.  
However, whenever she was around Castiel, she seemed to turn back into a sweet, feminine and chatty girl. She had hugged him countless times, even pecked his cheeks sometimes and cared for him like a mother -or was it actually the other way around?

He had never quite managed to figure out what it was about him that brought out that side of her, but she seemed to see something inside him that he had failed to detect himself, something that made her feel safe enough to let herself be, without pulling up any of her 'manly barriers'. Dean always assumed that Jo did not wear make up. Castiel, on the contrary, knew that she had a bit of a soft spot for cosmetics, even though always managed to make it look discreet and subtle on her face.

One of their shared interest also did a lot to bring them closer together, and that was, their love of clothes.

"Hey Cas, sorry for waking you up-," Dean apologized sincerely, before frowning and pointing at Jo just like a little kid would, "But that wouldn't have happened if that crazy old hag hadn't gone and ruined my plans for the evening. THANK YOU JO."

Oh, so he HAD planned on having the 'shagging' take place that evening. Fast indeed, considering this was the first Castiel had ever seen of that girl from earlier. He tried to think back and see if he had not actually met her before that, but as he was stuck in his musing, the two were back at it already.

"This wouldn't have happened if you weren't such a manslut," Jo deadpanned, her way of officially ending the argument, her arms still wrapped around Castiel's neck as she turned her attention back to him. "So, Cas, how's my dress going?"

Dean rolled his eyes as Castiel chuckled once more, "Oh just leave the poor guy alone with that, he's not your personal fashion designer or something"

Castiel shook his head faintly and smiled at Jo. "No that's fine, it's going well actually. I think I'm mostly done sketching it out already. Wanna see it?"

"Hell YEAH!"

Dean shook his head, pretending to be annoyed by their girly antics but as he watched them hurry back to Castiel's room and to his desk, there was kindness in his eyes.

"Oh my god it's GORGEOUS-"

Cas smiled a little -he had only shown her his first rough, and there she was already.  
He then took out a little diary sort of thing, his sewing journal of some sort. It was full of tiny fabric samples, various textile designs, some of his personal notes on patterns and so on.

"What do you think of that one? I thought cotton might work best for you, it's not so heavy that it'll get us awkward folds but still has enough character, and since you don't like extravagant things I thought we might want to go for a simpler fabric. At least for the body of the dress. Now that's what I picked for the sewn-in belt-"

It didn't take much more than that for Dean to roll his eyes at them once more, and they looked up innocently as he walked out of the room.

"Alright ladies, I'm gonna try and salvage what's left of my chances with Amy. Wish me luck."

They both kept on smiling gingerly until the door was closed, and Jo finally let out a loud sigh, stepping back to let herself fall down onto the bed.

"Man, I thought he'd never leave. And that girl was such a  _bitch_." Jo ranted and made a face. "Seriously. I've never seen anything as  _frilly_  as her."

"Well, frilly kind of is the right thing to do this summer. Rather trendy."

Jo looked up to him with a tired look before they both broke into laughter. "Cas, you're a hopeless case, you know that?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "Now, we finally got rid of Mr Jerk so let's get down to serious business."

Castiel sighed inwardly but simply resigned himself. He had been struggling with Jo on that one very topic over the last few years, and he now knew better than to try and fight her. She was just as stubborn as Dean was, while he, on the other hand, was rather well known for admittedly being a pleaser.

"Jo-"

"Don't start with that, we both know I was right on this from the start, and if I have to keep telling you for  _years_  then I fucking  _will_ -" She cut him abruptly, that sharp edge coming back to her eyes in an instant, that fighter's resolve. Castiel blinked then merely chuckled.

"No, I mean... I've already given up on that one quite a long time ago, Jo. I was just about to offer you a cup of coffee." He replied softly, though one could see that hint of a smirk on his lips when looking closely enough.

"Sure you were," she shot back with a smirk on her own then shook her head. "Now's not tea time and you know that damn well. That girl from earlier- I mean, aren't you  _pissed_?" She went on, her eyes almost furious, but he knew all to well he wasn't the one she was mad at. She did not relax, however. "Every time I see him do that I just want to strangle him, I swear, I mean, how could he not  _notice_  after all those years- and he fucking calls himself your best friend?"

Whenever Dean brought a girl home -meaning on a daily basis considering this was summer break-, it all just went down the same. Jo would be restless and downright angry.  
A couple years ago, that had first led Castiel to believe that she held some feelings for his best friend, but he was soon proved wrong. They had all known each other for years -that included Dean, Jo, Castiel but also Dean's brother Sam, having all lived in the same neighborhood-, and that meant they had had plenty of time to learn to know each other by heart, to share one's every secret and then some.

Jo had eventually come to him to ask him straight away, with her usual subtlety, whether he did or did not have a crush on Dean Winchester, and of course, not taking no for an answer. To be quite honest, he had not even  _known_  himself the answer to such a question at the time, but he was now quite positive he did like Dean. He sometimes wondered if he had liked him from the start or if Jo's constant nagging about him was what actually what forced him to see him in a new light- but either way, there was now no denying it.

Admitting it did not solve a single thing, however, as Dean was and would always remain a very straight ladies' man (or a 'manslut', as Jo would put it). Castiel had long given up on any hope of having his friend look at him  _that_  way, but that was not the case for Jo. She was absolutely convinced that with a bit of pushing, Dean would magically turn gay and beg on his knees to get into his pants, which he honestly had a bit of trouble believing.

"Jo, you do know where I stand on this whole matter," He replied calmly, sitting back at his desk. "It doesn't matter what I think, or how I feel- I don't believe I could change his womanizing habits in the least. It could actually get worse- If I did tell him it bothers me -which it doesn't-, it would only put a strain on him and instead of stopping, I actually think he would choose to see those girls in other places, or potentially even consider moving out." He explained and immediately realized he had been saying more than he had meant to. Jo always knew how to get anything right out of him, whenever she wanted to and as irritating as it was, he knew it could not be helped. One of the downsides of being this close to anyone, quite probably.

On top of being pissed, she now looked downright revolted, and frustrated as well.

"I call bullshit, Cas. It doesn't bother you at all?  _Really?_  Did you really think I was gonna buy that one?" She bit out, trying her best to keep it down so as not to be heard by Dean. "Man, you were locked in your room when I arrived, and that bitch was there, and don't you dare tell me you were sleeping, because I know that's bullshit too. Not with that creep squealing out the way she was- no way that didn't wake you up before I did." She noted, and well, he had to admit she was making a point. "Can you please be honest with me for a second? We've been on that thing for months, heck, years, and I think at this point I can at least be trusted with your actual feelings. Or am I wrong about this too?"

"Jo..." He started, and he knew that he just could not go against that. Not when she used that face on him. "Alright- I... Maybe it does bother me... a little." He eventually admitted, sounding defeated. "But as I said, it's not like I can help it-"

"Man, you're not 'bothered', you're freaking miserable and there's no way I'm letting my best friend look like that until the end of times, watching Dean fuck his life away. Literally." She sighed and shook his head. "Trust me on this, Cas, I've got you. I know this guy. I know I'm right on this. I really do."

And there she went again.

"Jo... As much as I'd like to-"

"I know, he's straight, I've noticed too. But I don't think he's  _strictly_  straight. And you're not just some random guy, you're his best friend, so that makes you pretty special to begin with," she stated. "Anyway, I'm not really asking for your opinion here."

Cas did not really know how to reply to that one. "Um... thank you? So then please remind me...the reason why we are discussing this?"  
There was really no getting used to Jo's harsh tone. Sometimes, Castiel wondered how she would survive in the social world with such an absence of tact. But then there was Ellen. So he guessed she would be quite alright.

"I'm planning a little something for my whole plan towards 'Dean's Awakening' and I'm gonna need your help on it," she started with no little amount of pride, and Castiel could tell this was bad. It sounded bad, at least. "You won't have anything to do, but agree with anything I'll say. Don't question anything, just go with it. Ok?"

Alright, now this did not sound just bad anymore. It sounded frightening.

"If you promise it won't involve anything of the likes of kissing Dean, hitting on Dean, confessing to Dean, screwing with Dean's love life-"

"It won't even have anything to do with Dean!" She interrupted him. "I promise! It'll be really simple and harmless- and it's gonna be a really awesome plan. You'll love it. Just for one evening, this Saturday actually."

He bit his lips, fidgeting a little with the edge of his chair, knowing this was probably a very bad idea.

"I don't assume you will agree to tell me what this is all about?"

"I'll just tell you one thing," she started, something wicked shining bright in her eyes, "I'm planning one hell of a party."


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter- OUUUUUT!

Their apartment was an actual sanctuary to Castiel. After having spent his whole life in his family home, the independence that came with getting to live in his own apartment was exhilarating. That feeling of freedom was truly wonderful, even though he did not enjoy it quite the same way anyone else would have. To him, freedom consisted in much subtler, more discreet acts than going out all night long or bringing a whole garrison of dates over, day after day.  
It was the little things.

Right now was just as good an example as any. He was alone, Dean having gone out earlier to meet someone, and he had been honestly happy even as his roommate had left through the door, sending a smile and a wink his way. Being alone in his very own space was a pleasure he would never tire of.

Everything was delightful to him, even their dear old couch, worn out, adorned in dirty green and faded mustard yellow stripes, the very couch people usually thought of as "ugly as heck". To him, under that warm summer sun, it looked absolutely cozy, the usually sad and lifeless colors now perfect and delicate, not too bright, just comfortable.  
He was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a straight cut that gave his butt a rather decent roundness, as well as a loose gray t-shirt and simple white socks, sitting there with his feet pulled up on the couch. Comfort all around.  
With Dean gone and Jo busy planning her little party thing, the whole apartment was incredibly quiet, and Castiel liked to think he could hear  _birds singing_. Now that was a rare thing.

One might have said the weather was a little bit too hot for coffee, but Castiel was not one to get past his usual morning routine and he was currently holding his cup close to his chest, the warmth seeping through his thin layer of clothes. It just felt so  _nice_.

Castiel absentmindedly wondered if Dean was going to suddenly burst through the door and disrupt his little peaceful moment -he actually kind of expected him to. Trying to chase the thought away, he just leaned back against the cushions, closing his eyes, doing his best to block out the rest of the world. He licked a droplet of coffee that had settled right over his upper lip, sighing contentedly then tried to solely relax and focus on his own self. The weight of his body, the press of his thighs against his chest, the soft cotton of the couch touching his bare back were his shirt was rising up, he grew aware of all those little things, loving the emptiness that took over his mind just then.

Soon enough, however, his thoughts drifted off and back to Dean.

He was not one to overly question life, or people's ways, or really anything at all, but Dean never failed to intrigue him. More particularly, his dating habits.  
Why on earth did Dean only ever go for extremely short relationships, with unfitting people, to say the least? He could not help but wonder. He'd been trying to come up with the right answer for years now, but he was still left unconvinced by his own hypotheses. Did he not feel worthy of anyone else? Did he not believe he was capable of making a relationship work? Or did he simply not want to bother?

Castiel was still pondering over that question, not too sure which of the two was actually the worse option when his cellphone rang, putting an end to his reverie.

It was Balthazar.

He hesitated a little, staring at the blinking screen. The confusion on his face melted into a mix of reluctance and faint amusement, and he picked up with a sigh. There went his quiet morning.

"Now, Balthazar, did you call to apologize?"

* * *

Dean Winchester certainly wasn't a morning person. Heck, he hated mornings that were spent anywhere but in a nice, warm bed, ideally with a just as nice and warm body pressed against his and the smell of bacon floating about his apartment. Now THAT was a good, normal, proper Winchester morning.

Today wasn't anything normal or usual, though, as he was very far from his bed, very far from bacon, and there were still quite a few hours to go until noon.

Dean was sitting at a table in a cafe he did not even know, slumped in his seat, a rather uncomfortable iron chair, and "gobbling down" -as Cas would always call it- his second caramel latte (with extra whipped cream).

Apart from not being a morning person, he also wasn't all that patient, and he was starting to get tired of waiting for his date. That girl was freaking late.  
He could tell, obviously,because he had arrived late as well and yet he was still waiting for her. Damn.  
Well at least that caramel thing was good.

That Amy girl from two days ago had definitely not appreciated Jo's little introduction, and as much as he had been looking forward to taking it to the next step with her, well... The second she had called his childhood friend a "bitch", while Dean had tried to apologize and make things okay again, he knew they were done. No one called Jo a bitch, even if she truly was one.

Dean was frustrated nonetheless and could not see himself spent a whole other week in an empty bed, so there he was again, on the hunt.  
Today's girl was a cheerleader he'd met once after a game. He had written down her number without thinking much of it, and he'd found it the previous night in his favorite jeans' back pocket.

He was starting to get seriously bored when he felt his phone vibrating and he immediately pulled it out, hoping it wasn't that girl bailing out on him.  
He blinked at his screen. It was Jo.  
One text was enough to get him worried as Jo wasn't usually the texting type, but when he read her message, Dean couldn't help the grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

_Hey, jerk.  
_ _Party at my place, Saturday night. Mom's gone for the weekend. You better come._

He chuckled as he texted her back and did not have to wait long to get his answer.

_Wow, missing your manslut already?_

_I didn't wanna invite you, you ass. Cas forced me to. No choice.  
_ _Come if you don't want me to break both your legs._ __  


Dean blinked at the mention of Cas and forced himself not to think anything of it. She was just joking. Nothing more. No crazy subtext.

_Aw, I feel loved. Ofc I'll be there  
_ _Nothing I wouldn't do for my two girls ;)_ __  


The very second he sent his text, a short brunette stopped by his table and smiled down to him, though not before checking him out thoroughly. He smirked back. Well, she had taken her sweet time.

"Hey there. Ruby, right?"

* * *

Thoughts were swarming behind her eyelids and so Jo took a deep breath, let out a gigantic sigh and just went back to doing the dishes. She'd been constantly planning for that party and she just couldn't get it out of her head. It had got to be perfect. She couldn't mess it up.

She had her earphones on, her eyes closed and she swayed softly to the music, trying to relax, washing and drying away as she mouthed the lyrics silently.

_Sing from the piano,_

_Tear my yellow dress and-_

"Now that's a classy way of doing the dishes," her mother's voice cut through the air, teasing and obviously amused at the face Jo made when she plucked the earphones out in one swift movement.

Jo almost dropped the plate she'd been cleaning.

" _Mom!_ " Jo practically whined, and this time Ellen could not hold back from laughing.  
She put the plate away to safety into the cupboard that was located above the sink before turning around.

Her mother was standing right behind her, looking strong and tough and stern as usual. There was one thing, one single thing that Jo hated and it was currently painted across her face. Whenever Jo looked at her mother, whenever she looked into her eyes, she could see a hint of sadness in there that never failed to make it seem like she was about to burst into tears.  
But she never did, of course she didn't, and Jo always felt stupid for imagining it.

Ellen acted as though she had not heard her daughter's complaint and she simply smirked a bit wider.

"Just wanted to tell you to make sure not to burn the whole house down this weekend while I'm gone, sweetheart. Think you can do that?"

Jo rolled her eyes at her but chuckled and nodded anyway.

"I was just thinking of that actually. I was wondering about who I should invite to the party. It's just a small thing anyway, just a get together to cheer up Cas a little, you know?" She explained.

In response, her mother just frowned a little bit, and there it was, back on her face, that sad, depressing look. She smiled again though and patted her head, telling her to "just be safe" before telling her she had to go meet Bobby for dinner, and the next moment, she was gone.

Jo had seriously no idea what she had meant by that, but she nodded again anyway.

Her latest party had been quite eventful. She really did hope they did not set the house on fire this time.


	3. Chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three :O

"Hey gorgeous," Dean exclaimed then proceeded to slam their front door closed loudly, for good measure. Cas was a quiet guy, so yeah, he needed a little noise in his life, Dean thought, until Castiel turned around from his spot on the couch and Dean actually noticed the phone in his hand, and the murderous intent in his eyes.

Thank goodness, Dean was too handsome to be hit in the face with a machete.

"Yes, Balthazar, that was Dean," Castiel went on with his conversation as Dean shrugged his jacket off and dropped his keys on their coffee table, right in front of where Cas was currently seated. "No, Balthazar, I highly doubt that Dean will care, but I shall pass it on to him anyway." Dean raised an eyebrow as he slumped down on the couch and pulled his feet up on the table.

"Balthazar sends his regards." Castiel stated, turning his eyes to Dean and looking absolutely unfazed.

"Yeah, I don't care."

"He does not care," Castiel replied instantly, earning himself a chuckle from Dean. "And for the record, he's going to take his dirty boots off the table on which I sometimes put the food I eat right this instant."

Dean blinked at that and he was about to send Castiel a glare, he really was, but the reason why he mumbled and sheepishly took his feet of instead was merely because he was a civil person and clearly had nothing to do with being whipped or Castiel being an impressive fucker.

Castiel had just kept on with his conversation while Dean reluctantly kicked off his boots and took a cushion from the couch to lay on the table, THEN put his feet on it. When he expectantly turned his eyes back to Cas, he looked like a little boy that had got grounded and was seeking his mother's forgiveness.

Castiel inspected Dean's socks rather suspiciously from his spot on the couch, probably gauging the amount of bacteria they contained per square inch and trying to assert whether or not he'd have to bleach the cushion after that.  
After a few seconds of scrutinizing, he gave Dean his assent through a pat on the head and a smug little smile that did not have Dean sigh in relief.  
And even if it did, it was a very masculine sigh.

Dean's policy stated that every apartment in the world required the presence of at least one messy pig, and well, since Cas was already busy filling the spot of the 'Sewing major guy' in theirs, Dean had graciously accepted his role.  
He put a lot of dedication into it and every day, he reverently dropped socks, empty beer cans and other various manly, dirty belonging all over the place. He made sure to constantly have dirty dishes in the sink, left the refrigerator's door open from time to time (he took notes on a calendar so that not a week would pass without its rightful Refrigerator's Door Day), hell, he even sometimes spilled some stuff here and there, overzealous as he was.

And that never failed to get Castiel's motherly instincts to come out. He would roll his eyes, clean, wash, and sweep like a madman and act just like a mom. Dean loved it. He missed his mom.  
Not a single day passed without Dean getting scolded for making a mess, and he loved those moments.  
He would just put on a sheepish look and listen to Cas's rant, and whenever he eventually went out of his way to fix the mess he had made, his roommate never failed to congratulate him and reward him for it.

Of course, it was a lot of work and it did drive Cas crazy sometimes, making Dean look like the bad guy. But it also provided Cas with the impression of being in charge, and as for Dean, he was rewarded with the feeling of being looked after and pampered like a kid.  
It was awesome.

A part of his brain called it "unhealthy" and "twisted" and "kind of sick" and since that part of his brain was pretty nasty that list didn't stop there.  
Another part of it, though (the nice and sensible one, quite obviously), called it "bringing balance to their living space".

So yeah, he was pretty much a gentleman disguised as a pig, he mused. That was one epic mental image.

In the meantime, Castiel had put an end to his call and he was now watching Dean with a faintly concerned look, which had him wonder how long he had actually been stuck in his own little world.

"Hey, so you're talking to Balthazar again?" Dean asked, and then mentally slapped himself for how girly that sounded. Man, Cas did so not bring out the best in him.

"Yes, that would seem like it," Castiel replied, seeming to ponder over it a little. "He apologized for... his previous behavior." He added, picking his words carefully.

Dean just frowned at that. Balthazar and Castiel had been friends since they had started college, they were in the same class after all and for some reason, the way Balthazar acted around Cas never failed to piss him off. He was too damn familiar... without having earned the right to be that familiar. He treated Cas like a fucking lady. Dean didn't like it.

"Why did you guys fight again?" He asked, not remembering Castiel ever mentioning the actual reason why they had actually stopped talking a couple weeks ago, though he quite honestly hadn't really wanted to know.

Cas stiffened slightly at that and just shrugged, looking away.

"Nothing much, he'd simply managed to get on my nerves again, somehow... You of all people should understand that." He replied, causing Dean to grin widely.

"Oh yeah. Man, I know that prick's your friend, but damn he can get annoying."

Castiel chuckled at that, seeming to relax a little.

"Yes, that he can be... Well, you will have to deal with it, though, because Jo told me to invite him to Saturday's party." He explained with a faint smile. He was now lying back into the couch, tilting his head a little and looking somehow a bit more like... well, like Dean.

Dean, however, could not help but make a face at that.  
Balthazar, coming to a party? Now that just plain sucked.  
But well, if Cas could bring Balthazar, Dean guessed he could also bring Ruby.

Cas could probably sense his roommate's man-period coming up though, and he wisely decided to change the topic of their conversation.

"So... how did that date of yours go anyway?"

Dean grinned and looked down almost bashfully. Yeah, he was a bit of a girl, so what.

"Weeeell, I guess it was pretty decent. She's less of a bitch than, uh, Amy, and... I think this one might be able to put up with Jo's harassment."

Castiel's eyebrows shot up at that.

"Alright, I'll deduce from that that she is either, in truth, a terrifying monster, or that she has absolutely no survival instinct."

Dean chuckled at that -yeah, at least he wasn't giggling yet- and shook his head.

"A bit of both probably. And I met her at a basketball game last month."

"Can that one hold a conversation?"

Dean had to stop and think about that for a second. He winced, then smiled sheepishly.  
"Well... I guess that if it's about clothes... she should manage?"

"That will do," Castiel chuckled back and Dean was rather glad.  
Sure, the girl wasn't the love of his life but if she could get on at least decently well with his best friend, he would definitely appreciate it.

"This time, I'll introduce her to you before I bring her here, Cas, promise," He joked.

At that, Cas looked like he was about to say something in return, something definitely not funny, but he just seemed to somehow... pull it back in, and gave him that serene smile of his instead.

"Hey, I'm actually getting hungry. Would you like to go and grab something together?"

Alright, this was the one reason why Dean loved Cas. He wanted to change topics? He picked food. He understood Dean's constant craving for food. Good food. He liked food. He could cook food. Therefore, he had earned Dean's unconditional and unquestioning love in the blink of an eye.

"Now we're talking. I only had two caramel lattes, a hot cocoa and a piece of cake at that cafe earlier, and it wasn't even all that good." He mumbled. "Roadhouse?"

"Roadhouse it is."

\---

The Roadhouse was a sort of cozy bar slash restaurant that served the most ridiculously delicious burgers and fries Dean had ever tasted, not to mention their pies. And their muffins. And their milkshakes. Their cinnamon rolls. Hell, even their salads were good (because people like Sam needed to eat too).

Could Dean be considered a food fiend?  
That wasn't even a decent question.

As everyone in town knew, the Roadhouse was owned by Ellen, who lived upstairs with her daughter Jo and was definitely not the kind of person you wanted to piss off.

She was also sometimes called the 'Queen of all MILFs' and that was just wrong to Dean on many levels.  
She was a bit of a mom to him, whenever he missed home a little too much, and she also loved Cas to bits. She was just perfect. Except maybe for that big mouth, a trait she totally shared with Jo.

"Hey Ash," Dean called out when he spotted his slightly quirky friend sitting at a table by the door, his usual spot. "Can't see the Kraken anywhere. Is she out or something?"

"Yeah, she said she had some stuff to deal with for the party or something," Ash replied and slowly looked up from his computer, to beam out a smile to both boys. "Hey Cas."

Castiel was just about to respond to that, when a pair of arms appeared out of nowhere to pull them into a hug. That crushing hold of death could not be anyone other than Ellen herself. Ash knew better than to interfere with the mommy bear nursing her cubs, and he went back to his programming.

Ellen eventually pulled back, ruffling their hair in the process -which actually felt a bit more like she was trying to pull it all off their heads- and gave them a sort of worried grin, something only she could pull off.

"Boys, it's been a while. I was almost starting to feel lonely there." She teased, pulling them both off to a table close to the counter. "Jo said you screwed up with a girl again. Good job Dean." She stated in that nonchalant Harvelle way, and before Dean could say anything in his own defense, she had already turned to Cas. "How about you boy? Your dad said you hadn't been back home for a while."

Dean had to bark out a laugh at that.

"Bobby said that?" He chuckled, putting his menu down -he had it memorized by heart, yet he still read it every time he came down there. "Awww, how sweet. He misses his baby boy," he teased, winking at Cas and laughing when the boy kicked him under the table.

After glaring at Dean rather pointedly, Castiel turned back to Ellen and offered a small smile.

"Yes, well, truth is... I've been trying to have him get used to my not living there any longer. I know he is having a hard time getting accustomed to it, but... I think I needed that bit of freedom, and to try and take care of myself a little..."

Ellen just smirked at that. "I think you spend more time taking care of that big idiot there than worrying about your own self." She said softly. "Anyway, just remember to give him a call from time to time, sweetie, okay?"

In the next five minutes, she was already off with their orders and back behind her counter, giving them some peace and quiet.

It didn't take long for the new waitress -Bella or something- to bring back their food, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were both moaning around mouthfuls of cheese and bacon and steak and glory and bickering like little kids.

Scarfing down heavenly burgers, getting pampered by Ellen, chatting and fighting with Cas over the silliest things, all while still enjoying the goodness that was summer break and the prospect of an incoming party...

That was an evening like Dean Winchester liked them.

And considering what hell was coming next, he had better enjoy it while it lasted.


End file.
